Elements in Time
by flamingbluepanda
Summary: A hundred years ago, the fire nation started a war to end everything. Now Jack and Ianto have found the one person who can stop it- but Gwen Cooper has a lot to learn before she's ready to save the world. With a large weevil, a lot of luck, a prosthetic leg, and hot-headed prince and his cute head guard on their tail, this trio has a lot to face while trying to save everything.
1. The Girl in the Iceburg

Jack sighed and pulled his coat tighter around himself, staring at the water. Apparently, even the _fish _thought it was too cold to be out today.

He thought about sticking his hand in, stirring the current to see if he could attract anything, but he really didn't feel like getting his hand wet on the coldest day in months. And Ianto would bite his head off if he tried to touch the oars or fishing gear.

Earlier, when Ianto had ducked into their hut and declared he was going fishing despite the blizzard on the horizon and the biting winds, Jack _knew _he was trying to prove himself. Ianto got like that sometimes, on days when his injuries ached and his false leg made his life difficult. That was why Jack couldn't touch the gear- heaven forbid Ianto actually let someone _help him do things. _

Jack had insisted on coming out with him, because it was cold, and the waters might be still but the winds were rough, and Ianto might need him. Ianto had only agreed on the basis that Jack didn't do any _actual fishing. _

Jack sighed again.

He finally tore his gaze away from the water, confident he wouldn't miss any fish. Ianto was biting his lip, which was adorable. He was clutching his spear the same way he had when Rhia left- hopeful, as if he'd actually get the chance to use it.

Given the chance, Ianto would be out there, fighting. Not because he wanted to, because he felt he needed to. Jack understood, he'd be out there too if he could be. They were both protective people, wanting to fight for the home they knew and the people they loved.

The fire nation had taken almost everything from them both- even, very nearly, each other.

"Ianto," Jack finally said, "don't you think we should head back?"

Ianto shook his head. The wind whistled again. They both shivered.

"_Ianto," _Jack insisted, leaning across the small canoe to place a hand over Ianto's trembling ones. "C'mon, there's no fish out today. We could be back at the village, curled under our blankets, _together…" _

He emphasized the last word and grinned as Ianto shuddered in a much different manner. They betrothal necklaces wrapped around their wrists and peeking out from their coats both suddenly seemed more noticeable.

"I," Ianto said, blinking, shivering, and looking pained. He clenched his left hand tighter, the permanent tremor in his muscles pausing for a second. "I know. I know, we should head back, but…"

He finally turned his head to look at Jack, ashamed and begging for understanding.

Jack sighed- but this time it was fond, and he leaned forward to kiss the cold nose. "You want ten more minutes, don't you?"

"Fresh fish for dinner would be nice." Ianto insisted, and Jack had to admit- it was dead in the middle of what he lovingly called the _colder than the ass side of the spirit world _season, which meant the town was pretty much living off the over salted preserves they saved up during the "warm" months (aka the _still cold but not as cold as my ass during the other season _season)

Fresh fish would be nice.

"Ten minutes and counting, Ianto." Jack begrudgingly agreed.

Ianto turned back to his side of the boat, Jack to his.

The water was too _still. _Fish would never come.

Jack chewed at the inside of his cheek for a moment, then glanced at Ianto once before looking back at the water. He took a deep breath and felt the currents flow around him as if he were in the water and not above it. He could see it, see the water moving in his mind's eye. Just push, and pull, breathe and let it flow, just…

_Move. _

And the water started to swirl beneath his gaze as Jack's fingers twitched. He kept it small, not wanting to alert Ianto. At least, that was the intent, until he saw something moving. His grin got wider. "Ian-"

"Sh, Jack I think I got one," Ianto said.

"I need the-"

"Jack _quiet-"_

Jack watched as his fish- a _large _fish- started to swim away. Gritting his teeth, Jack raised his hands and flicked his wrists and watched as the fish rose from the water as if in a bubble.

"Ianto, I got one!" He said, moving the fish through the air. Ianto finally turned his head and promptly _shrieked _at the bubble of water floating over him. He jumped, the boat rocked, the bubble popped and the fish flung itself back into the water.

Jack winced in sympathy as all the water he had been bending fell on Ianto's head, soaking his hair and shoulders.

"_J-Jack!" _Ianto shouted, teeth chattering instantly.

"Sorry, I'm sorry-" Jack said immediately, reaching below his feet to pull out the emergency bag, with its dry coat and towels. Ianto quickly pulled off his coat, shivering as the air hit his clothes. Jack took it and leaned forward, wrapping a towel around his head and shoulders.

Jack towel dried Ianto's hair, feeling him shiver. Ianto took the extra coat and pulled it over his arms, then leaned back to close it.

Jack let him take the towel, letting Ianto finish drying his hair before pulling it off.

His hair was sticking up everywhere, but even with the chattering teeth, Ianto was mostly dry. Jack looked at him, ashamed. "I'm sorry, really."

"No, Don't be." Ianto sighed, warming slightly, "we had a fish and everything."

He started rubbing his shoulders. His clothes were still wet. Jack held up his hands "I could-"

"Jack, you're very talented with your hands, but the last time you tried to bend water out of my clothes you froze them and shattered my favorite coat." Ianto said, shivering again, "I'll manage. Let's head home, yeah? Johnny will make a nice soup, you can warm me up."

"Always," Jack agreed, smiling a bit.

And then, the water beneath them started to glow.

Ianto blinked as the boat rocked. "Jack? What are you-"

"This isn't me- Ice!"

Ianto grabbed the paddle and swiftly pushed them forward as two ice chunks crashed into each other right where the canoe had just been.

Jack grabbed the other paddle to help, watching the waves batter them around in spite of their efforts. "The storm must be moving in!"

"Talk later, don't get crushed now!" Ianto replied, and then three seconds later "Jack, when we get to that next ice block _jump!" _

"Are you crazy? We need the canoe to get home!"

"We'll get crushed if we stay, now _jump-!"_

Jack reached forward and snagged Ianto's arm, then jumped and landed on his side on the ice, dragging Ianto with him. The two skidded, but Ianto stabbed the spear he'd been clutching into the ice and stopped them before they both went into the water again.

Helplessly, they both watched as their canoe shattered between two ice blocks. The water under them kept moving, the current speeding up. Jack shifted forward to grab the spear with one hand, draping himself over Ianto and burying his face in Ianto's neck as freezing water and specks of ice flew across their backs. The ice block shook and spun, and they both cling to the spear like the lifeline it was- if they got tossed into the water now, they would either freeze or drown, assuming the ice didn't crush them first.

And then, it stopped. All of it.

The ice stopped moving, and Jack cautiously picked up his head. "Ianto?"

"'M here, I'm good," Ianto said without raising his head. "My arm hurts."

Jack rolled off him, then stood and helped Ianto to his feet. Ianto's bad limbs were both trembling, and Jack quickly wrapped an arm around his waist to make sure his leg didn't give out.

"Jack," Ianto said quietly, "was that there before?"

In front of them, glowing like a Star, was an iceberg. And within it were the outlines of a large beast… and a human.

And the human was glowing.

And the human just opened its eyes.

"Oh my god, they're _alive!" _Ianto shouted, and Jack grabbed the spear and rushed forward, leaving Ianto to steady himself.

He stabbed it into the ice in front of him, and it _popped, _like a bubble. Ice whipped at his face and jack stumbled with the force of the air releasing.

And light, blue and somehow _mystic _shot miles into the air.

_Shit. Someone definitely noticed that._

* * *

Miles out, on a ship pushing its way through the sea, the beam of light was indeed noticed.

Rhys Williams, former General of the fire nation army, current advisor to the fire nation's prince, noticed it first, simply because said Prince's back was to the beam.

But the prince noticed five seconds later, when the guards he was training with stopped sparring him and stared.

"What, what the hell are you- _oh." _

Rhys sighed and looked down at his card game.

"Change course, follow that light!" The prince ordered immediately.

The guards compiled without thought, but Rhys sighed, loudly.

"Something you wanna say?" The prince groused, and Rhys shrugged. "Just thinking I won't be able to finish my game"

"You can play games once the avatar is in my father's hands," The prince snapped, and Rhys shook his head. "You don't know it's the avatar. It could be anything."

"Did you _see _that beam? Nothing in the South Pole _has _that kind of power! It _must _be the avatar!"

The prince turned and walked off the deck. "I'm going to my room to prepare. Don't disturb me."

"Yes sir," Rhys muttered, "Prince Owen."


	2. The Southern Water Tribe

When Gwen woke up again, she was warm. Actually warm. She was lying tucked under several furs, in what _had _to be a water tribe hut.

Ah yes, she remembered. The strange and beautiful man who had to be a spirit, the suspicious guy. Jack and Ianto.

Gwen sat up slowly, yawning. Someone had put her in dry clothes, but she noticed the oranges of her temple clothes folded neatly off to the side. The hut she was in was small. There was a little fire circle in the corner for warmth, not cooking. Coats hung on the walls, along with strings of… ribbon? Perhaps a girl lived here.

She shifted to get out of bed, shivering as she did so.

The flaps of cloth covering the door suddenly moved, and a hooded figure stomped in, kicking snow off his… boot? He only had one on and the other…

She saw something small and white poking out from the other opening in the figure's pants. Like a peg leg.

The figure looked at her and pulled back the hood to reveal Ianto.

He pulled down the scarf covering his mouth and cheeks and said "you're awake then. 'Bout time, the children thought you were dead."

"Children?" Gwen asked, and Ianto shook his head, setting down the bags he was carrying near the door. "I'll go tell everyone you're awake. You can use one of the coats on the wall if you want."

He turned and walked- no, limped. He had a definite limp as he walked- out again

Gwen sighed and got dressed, shrugging on the smallest coat she could find. She didn't know _why _Ianto had so many- the hut only had one bed, clearly he lived alone.

The flap opened again, and this time Jack bounded in. "You're awake!"

Gwen smiled at him "yeah, hi. Sorry about passing out on you."

"Don't worry about it, you needed the rest." Jack waved her off.

Gwen shrugged and pulled off her shirt, turning her back to Jack. Her chest was wrapped, keeping her breasts tight to her chest. She could feel his eyes tracing the arrow tattoos down her spine and shoulders.

"We weren't properly introduced earlier. I'm Gwen."

"Jack Harkness," Jack replied "and you already met Ianto."

Gwen pulled her shirt down. "Yeah. Tell him thanks for letting me stay here."

"You're welcome." Jack said, leaning against the doorframe. Gwen glanced at him, and he grinned. "C'mon, meet everyone else."

"Everyone else" apparently consisted of a group of maybe 30 people who were either really old or quite young.

"Gwen, meet the entire population of the South Pole," Jack said proudly, and Gwen blinked.

She'd never visited the southern water tribe herself, but she was _certain _they were bigger than this.

"Is this it then?" She asked, and didn't notice that Ianto shot her an irritated glare.

"Well, uh… yeah. Yeah, this is everyone." Jack said, a bit less confident than before.

Ianto stepped forward with one of the younger-but-still-pretty-old men. "This is my brother in law, Johnny. He's kinda the leader around here."

"Only because you insist on being so reckless that it would be bad form to make you the leader," Johnny responded, then looked at Gwen sharply. "Are you really an Airbender?"

"Yes," Gwen said, tilting her head "why is everyone so surprised about this?"

"No one's seen an Airbender since the attacks," one of the really old people said. "We thought they were extinct."

Gwen suddenly felt all the blood rush away from her head. She stumbled a little but didn't collapse again.

"Whoa there-" Jack said, stepping forward, but Gwen waved him off.

"Extinct? _Attacks?_ That _can't _be right, the air nomads are a peaceful people-"

"Everyone was peaceful before the war," Ianto said quietly. The wind whistled across the tundra.

"War? What _war?" _Gwen asked, and now _everyone _was staring at her.

"Gwen, how long were you in that iceberg?" Jack asked, and Gwen shook her head. "I don't… know."

Silence fell.

"... well, however long it was, you _did _just sleep for three days- maybe you're just disoriented? Or you hit your head." Ianto suddenly said, and Gwen nodded quickly. "Yes, yes that makes sense. Thank you."

"Well, you can stay here until you're well again," Johnny said. "Jack and Ianto have let you stay in their home. I'm sure they won't mind you staying."

"_Their _home?" Gwen asked at the same time that Jack said "of course she can."

Ianto just sighed.

Gwen suddenly frowned. "Wait, what about Janet? You didn't leave her out there?"

"We tried," Jack muttered, and Ianto rolled his eyes at him. "No, your _monster_ followed us back. We couldn't fit her through the gates so she's outside. I think she's been hunting penguin seals."

"Janet's not a monster, she's a giant flying weevil." Gwen corrected, "and she's very friendly."

"Your giant flying weevil, right," Ianto said, rolling his eyes again.

Gwen pouted at him, "it's true! I'll show you!"

And with that declaration, she turned on her heel and marched towards the opening in the walls of snow that surrounded the village.

* * *

Ianto's head was starting to hurt.

As much as he loved his sister's home, he never slept as good there as he did in his own. For the last three days, he'd slept like crap, and Jack worrying so much about their guest wasn't helpful either.

Ianto didn't trust her. How could he, he just met her, and she immediately shot a beam of light into the sky and left him and Jack alone with that… _creature. _

And the creature's name was _Janet. _

And now, the Airbender/possible spy- _Gwen _was insisting that Janet could fly.

Ianto watched her go, and then looked at Johnny "we could always just lock her out."

"Don't be rude!" Christina yelled from behind him, and Ianto managed to dodge the walking stick that was thrown at his head.

Ever since Rhiannon led the charge to join the war, taking pretty much all the people between the ages of 18 and 60 with her, Ianto had gotten good at dodging various toys and walking sticks, thrown by children and old people who were angry with him for something or another. The village was a community, and they all cared about one another, really. But Ianto supposed his hypervigilance could get annoying to everyone after a while.

Even if Jack thought it was cute.

"C'mon, Ianto, let's go make sure she doesn't hurt herself," Jack said, walking forward and offering Ianto an arm. Ianto ignored it, heading for the gates. His bad hip was aching, but he didn't think he was going to collapse today. The tremors and cramps weren't as bad as they could be. Jack followed him out.

"You don't mind staying at Johnny's a bit longer, right?" Jack asked, and Ianto shrugged. "Mica and David are happy we're there. Spending time with my family isn't the worst fate."

"Still, I know I just kinda put her in our bed without asking you…" Jack said, sounding apologetic. Ianto paused in his walking to turn to his intended.

"I appreciate the apology," Ianto said, "but Jack… I know you wanna help her, take care of her, whatever but…"

"You don't trust her." Jack guessed, and Ianto shook his head.

"That beam… the tribe won't survive another fire nation raid. Not with Rhia and the others gone."

Jack leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ianto's forehead. He took Ianto's injured hand, the one that shook.

"I'm never gonna let anything happen to you again," Jack muttered, and Ianto wanted to sigh. His own safety didn't even make the top ten list of worries in his head on a _normal_ day, much less when there was a possible spy in their midst. He was far more worried about his family, about Jack, about Rhiannon, about taking care of the tribe.

About the fire nation, coming to finish the job.

Instead of telling Jack he was scared, he rolled his eyes. And then he stepped back and said "let's go make sure your possibly delusional Airbender doesn't get herself killed, yeah?"

"God I hope she isn't delusional. We could put her to work building huts or something."

Ianto snorted, and this time took the proffered arm- he knew there were some ice patches that needed salting near the village gates, and he _really _wasn't in the mood to fall on his butt today.

Jack kissed his cheek and lead him out of the village, to find Gwen chattering happily with her weevil.

"I _know, _they don't believe in you, do they? _Do they? _Oh, you're a good girl sweetheart, we'll show them, yes we will…"

Ianto cleared his throat, and Gwen grinned back at them. She airbended herself up so she landed on Janet's head, between her horns. "You guys ready to see her?!"

Jack flashed her a smile, Ianto rolled his eyes. Gwen grinned and leaned against the weevil's horn, taking the reins. She grins down at them, and says "ready Janet? Alright… yip yip!"

The weevil doesn't move. It laid down.

Gwen frowned at it, digging her heel into its head. "Janet! C'mon, yip yip! Let's fly!"

The weevil got up and started to walk, and Gwen groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Ianto sighed, feeling a little guilty at her obvious concern for her pet. "Hey! Maybe she… he… it? Uh, maybe she's just tired!" He calls.

Gwen perked up, nodding. "Yeah! That's gotta be it! C'mon Janet, take a lay down, nap a bit, we can try again later!"

The weevil obediently plopped to the ground, sending snow flying. Ianto side eyed Jack. "You know she's your responsibility now, right?"

"Figured."

"And if she's gonna stay, she's gotta help out around here."

"Like you won't be following behind her, redoing anything anyone tries to do to help you."

"I'm gonna step on your foot Jack. With my peg leg."

"I'm just pointing out a consistent pattern of- ow!"

"Warned you."

* * *

The next few days were… awkward.

Gwen was trying, in her way. Or at least that was what Jack thought. She tried to help around the village- cleaning, laundry, cooking- But she wasn't really good at any of it. Of all the things she tried, childcare was where she did best. But she also didn't seem to understand that the children of the village had spent her whole life living in a war, knowing only struggle.

Jack watched as Gwen became openly surprised to learn about some of the aspects of life at the South Pole. She was nice enough, and more fun than they'd had in years.

And that annoyed the _hell _out of Ianto.

Jack had known Ianto since they were small and knew how seriously Ianto took his responsibilities. When Johnny said Ianto should, by all means, be the leader of the village, he meant it. Everyone listened to Ianto, and looked to him to solve their problems. Ianto made sure everyone was healthy and safe and as happy as they could be given the circumstances. It was thankless work (in that the only thanks Ianto would get was a walking stick thrown at his head.)

Ianto spent his days preparing them for war, trying to balance happiness with readiness.

Gwen, on the other hand, still didn't believe the war existed.

Jack talked with her every day, and she still had no recollection of _any _wars. Jack's mother, the village healer, thought she had head trauma, and had simply forgotten. Gwen thought Ianto was crazy every time he gathered the kids for training or collected rations of food for the stores incase of an attack.

"The people are hungry," Gwen said one night, "and the kids are sad. Why is he so freaked out?"

Jack wasn't sure how to tell her politely that there was a war going on, or that Ianto didn't eat most nights because he felt so guilty about collecting rations, or that Ianto had everyone's best interests at heart.

He could think of a lot of _impolite _ways to say all that, even came close to saying it a few times.

It all came to a head one day when Gwen interrupted training.

Ianto was showing the kids a few spear movements- things they could use for hunting _or _fighting, since the oldest kid was 11 and would be old enough to start fishing soon. Gwen had come over to watch and started muttering comments.

Jack had been with his mom, treating Old Lady Elizabeth's bad foot, when he'd looked through the gates and saw Ianto looking like he was gonna use Gwen for target practice.

Needless to say, he'd gone over to intervene.

Ianto was ranting by the time he got there, waving his arms and saying how "you need to buck up and realize this is serious! All of it!"

"Look, war or not, the fire nation isn't going to attack you here! From a purely strategic standpoint-"

"They have already! Twice! And we _will _be prepared for a third!"

"You're being overdramatic!"

"And _you're _being stupid! You have amnesia, you can't remember the horror of it!"

"And you know?! If you're so determined to fight a war, why are you _here?!"_

Jack felt his heart stutter in his chest- a mix of fear and anger, both directed towards Gwen.

Fear, because Ianto looked just about ready to stab her.

Anger, because if he didn't Jack just might.

Jack finally got to them and put a hand on Ianto's arm. "Okay, Okay, both of you just-"

"Why aren't _I _out there? Why aren't _you!" _Ianto snapped. "The fire nation killed every Airbender! You're all alone Gwen! If anyone has reason to be out there fighting, it's you, and you're here! Hiding away!"

Gwen growled and suddenly shot a blast of air at him, sending Ianto flying into a snowbank.

"Hey! Quit it, both of you-!"

But Jack's words weren't headed. Ianto climbed to his feet and brandished his spear, charging forward with a yell. Gwen dodged easily, grabbing the spear and swinging Ianto around to toss him away. Ianto didn't let her pull him off his feet, and the spear snapped leaving them both with a half.

Ianto growled and charged forward again, but Jack stepped between them and held up his hands, shouting "_enough!" _

Ianto stopped short, trembling, and Gwen lowered her half.

"Jack! Look, I just think-"

"Gwen, Ianto is right."

Her face fell, "but-"

"No, we're at war, Gwen. Could we change some things? Probably. But we-"

"We're trying to be ready for the worst!" Ianto repeated, angry and shuffling forward,"We're trying to make sure that _they-"_ He jabbed a finger in the direction of the kids, who had started playing a game while the adults yelled, "Never, _ever, _have to go through what we went through."

"What have you _possibly _gone through?" Gwen hissed, "You stay here and fight and fish and…"

She trailed off, as Ianto rolled up his pant leg. Jack quietly went over and put a hand on his arm, supporting him.

He still hated looking at Ianto's wounds, even after almost five years since the attack that caused them. Ianto had gotten trapped in a burning hut, saving Mica and David from a firebender. A beam had fallen on him, injuring his back and leaving him with a permanent tremor in his hands. He had burns all along his right arm and sides.

But the worst injury by far was his right leg.

Jack wasn't sure if the fire had damaged the leg enough that it had been amputated when Johnny pulled him out, or if whoever had started the fire had done it. All he knew was when he'd finally managed to see Ianto, Ianto had lost everything below his knee. The burns on his stump were deep, and the muscles cramped often, and while the village doctor's had saved Ianto's kneecap, the muscles holding it in place were weak, and it shifted often.

Jack still couldn't look at the leg without remembering Ianto's screams. They'd been audible from everywhere in the village. That was one of the worst days of Jack's life.

He sighed and dropped a kiss on Ianto's head, not caring that Gwen was staring at them. He could have lost so much more that day.

"I don't… I didn't…" Gwen stuttered, and Ianto cocked his head to the side.

Ianto's false leg was made from a saber whale tooth. Jack had found it himself, sanded it down, even carved watertribe symbols into it and painted it. He'd carved a cup into it for Ianto's stump, and drilled two holes. The whole village had pitched in to get Ianto some ribbon, and every day he laced up the leg and wrapped ribbon around his stump, tying it in a tight knot that left red marks on his hip.

"This war has taken our families," Ianto said, sounding tired, "it has taken so much. Believe me, if I could be out there, with my sister, fighting, I would be."

Gwen stared, then turned and ran.

Jack turned back to Ianto, who was massaging his leg into calming down. "Yan-"

"Go after her," he muttered.

"I'm not leaving you alone-"

"Jack, I really _really _want to be alone right now. Go make sure she doesn't freeze to death."

Jack watched Ianto's face for a long moment, then leaned down to kiss his brow.

"Go home, get in bed, get your leg off, sleep. Gwen can stay with Johnny."

And then, he ran off after Gwen.


End file.
